Wednesday, September 25, 2013

From the pro-CPP Davao Today (Sep 24): Groups to Duterte: US stands to gain in bomb threats

Having American troops may not be the solution to the city’s security threats, a city councilor said.

City Councilor Nilo Abellera Jr told reporters that “(T)heir presence would not pacify the threats. This is not the solution. I think the people should be vigilant. If they see someone or something suspicious, they should report this immediately to the authorities.”

The Davao City Council in 2005 signed a manifesto with barangay captains declaring the city as a “No Balikatan/ No US troops zone” at the height of a series of RP-US joint Balikatan military exercises.

Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate hoped Duterte would remember this position was made because of the United States’ collusion on bombings in Davao in the past.

“We should remember that in previous bombings, there were many questions surrounding it, yet there was one American, Terrence Meiring, who was arrested when a bomb exploded in his hotel room. He was later frisked away by FBI agents. This established that even before hand, the American government is possibly behind this bombings,” Zarate said.

The Meiring incident happened in 2002, a year before the twin bombings of the old Davao airport and Sasa seaport.

“What we should look at these bombings is who would stand to benefit? Maybe this is a way of conditioning us, or the mayor, to allow US troops in the city,” said Zarate.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte earlier made a statement last week implying he would change his stance and allow foreign military forces in the city if security threats continued.

“If the bombings continue, maybe, just maybe I will be forced to review my refusal to give access to foreign military troops in Davao City,” Duterte said Saturday following a meeting with the Rotary Club from South Korea, a country he visited last week before the bombing of two cinemas inside two malls last September 16.

Mayor Duterte earlier revealed he rejected offers by American representatives who asked him to transform the old Davao Airport into headquarters for US drones.

Police investigation had already identified two suspects on the incident, but the latter remain at large even with a 48-hour ultimatum that expired last Saturday and a Php 2-million reward offered by Duterte.

But now, the mayor said, his stand could be overruled by the government’s bilateral agreement with the United States for broader access to Philippine territory.

Radio commentator Dodong Solis said this is the first time the mayor “mellowed down” from his tough position against US intervention because of the American government’s “arm twisting to get what they want.”

Solis said US security interests could be linked to American economic interests in Compostela Valley province like the St. Augustine Copper and Gold mines and the Cadan Resources. The former is located in Pantukan town and has an estimated value of US $24 billion, while the latter is found in New Bataan town and has an economic value of $ 38 billion.

Bayan Southern Mindanao spokesperson Sheena Duazo warned that “The presence of US troops in Zamboanga and the militarization in the countryside shows the plan for wide-scale plunder in Mindanao.”

Duazo said this pressure on the city could be a preparation for the visit of US President Barack Obama to the Philippines on October 12, who would discuss the new rotational-framework and access agreement to heighten American troops presence and operations all over the country.

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares said the government had long allowed US military facilities in three areas in the country since 2002. Among the areas are Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City last August and Camp Sionco in Cotabato City around 2004.

While Malacañang expressed optimism that normalcy will soon return to Zambo-anga City after the conflict between govern-ment troops and the members of the Moro National Liberation Front-Misuari faction the crisis entered its 17th day yesterday.

MNLF commander Ustadz Habier Malik continued to put up a fight despite prodding from both his men and government security forces to lay down his firearms and sur-render.The Palace also warned the Mus-lim group that the govern-ment has all the resources to arrest and file charges against its founding leader Nur Misuari and his followers who had engaged government troops in a bloody standoff.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda did not say whether the government knows the whereabouts of the Moro leader but he stressed the government has everything at its disposal to arrest Misuari.

The MNLF leader has brushed aside the Aquino government’s threat to file rebellion charges against him. Misuari, who relayed his message to MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza, dared the government to arrest him.

“We’ll use our government resources to do the right thing. He’s not Leo DiCaprio to ‘catch me if you can’... we have resources to do that,” Lacierda said, referring to a movie starred by the Hollywood actor.

Lacierda also assured that the Department of Justice is preparing an airtight case against the perpetrators of the attack, including Malik and other MNLF commanders who are still in a standoff with government forces.

“Some forces are trying to test the resolve of this government. This government has all the resources to protect its citizenry... We will defend our people, that’s the mandate of this government, the mandate of the armed forces,” he said.

Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, acting chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Public Affairs Office, in a separate interview, said 30 MNLF fighters, supposedly part of Malik’s group, surrendered around 10:30 a.m. yesterday, leaving only a handful of men around the MNLF commander.

“Ustadz Habier Malik was not among those who surrendered. He refused to surrender,” he added.

Malik is reportedly armed with an M-60 light machine gun.

“We encourage him to just surrender... surrendering is an honorable thing. We don’t intend to kill all those going against the government,” Cabunoc stressed.

According to the military official, based on the accounts of one of the 30 surrenderees yesterday, Malik’s men also prodded him to just surrender but he remains committed to fighting.

Cabunoc said the surrender was prompted by hunger.

Malik, he added, is still within the constriction area in the vicinity of barangays Sta. Barbara and Sta. Catalina with less than 10 followers with him.

“We are talking maybe five to 10,” Cabunoc said.

He added based on the statements of some of the hostages rescued last Tuesday from Malik’s group, there are no more hostages being held.

A source, meanwhile, said Malik had already left Zamboanga City as early as Sept. 13 or prior to the launching of military calibrated response against the MNLF.

“There is information saying that Malik is already in Sulu,” the source added. As the conflict entered its 17th day on Wednesday, the United Nations has officially declared the situation in Zamboanga a “humanitarian crisis.”

Luiza Carvalho, UN resident and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines, noted that the standoff has left some 132 persons dead, 158,000 affected and over 10,000 homes destroyed.

She added about 109,000 are displaced in Zamboanga and almost 19,000 in neighboring Basilan province.

“We are increasingly alarmed by the situation and the growing needs of people caught up with violence,” Carvalho. “We are particularly concerned for the most vulnerable, especially the well-being of women and children.”

The UN official also asked “all parties to uphold the principles of impartiality, humanity, neutrality and independence, enshrined in International Humanitarian Law.”

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today urged the Filipino people, especially the people of Zamboanga, to hold the Aquino regime responsible for grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the course of its siege against the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) which employed excessive force, endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians and caused destruction to property and the people’s livelihoods.

The CPP issued this statement as the AFP siege against the MNLF reached its 15th day with no end in sight. The AFP has carried out air strikes, bombings and strafings which have resulted in massive destruction to property and public infrastructure.

“As a signatory to the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), the Philippine government must comply with the high standards set by the agreement in relation to the conduct of its siege against the MNLF in Zamboanga City over the past several weeks,” said the CPP.

“The Aquino regime has exhibited clear disregard for the democratic rights and wellbeing of the civilian population,” pointed out the CPP. More than a 120,000 residents in several villages of Zamboanga City have been forcibly displaced from their homes and are currently held in government-run evacuation centers where they are exposed to the elements or forced to sleep under makeshift tents. Every day they are made to line up for hours to obtain food and water.

“Officials of the Aquino regime claims that the MNLF took civilian hostages when they were attacked by the AFP, yet at no point did Aquino attempt to determine the actual number and identity of the hostages or seek the release of these hostages through negotiations with the MNLF forces. Instead, he has chosen to launch a massive armed siege with no clear plan of securing the safe passage of civilians.”

“Information about the siege against the MNLF has largely been controlled by the Aquino regime and its armed forces,” pointed out the CPP. “An exhaustive investigation of incidents of human rights abuses must be carried out independently by disinterested parties.”

The CPP called on local and human rights groups to work with the people of Zamboanga and the rest of the Filipino people to conduct a thorough inquiry into the Aquino regime’s siege against the MNLF.

Moro National Liberation Front
founding chairman Nur Misuari brushed aside the Aquino government’s threat to
file rebellion charges against him for his supposed role in the standoff in ZamboangaCity, which is now on its third week.Misuari’s reaction was relayed by MNLF spokesman Absalom Cerveza, who said that Misuari was not bothered by reports that the Justice Department is set to file rebellion charges against the MNLF chairman.

Cerveza said Misuari even dared the government to arrest him.

At the same time, Cerveza said that MNLF forces are close to occupying the heart of Zamboanga, saying that they are “expanding the war” in the city.

“The city is on the brink of control of MNLF forces,” said Cerveza, whose claim contradicts the military’s statement that the MNLF rebels are on the run and only a few remained in “constricted” areas.

Cerveza said he and Misuari talked about the threat of rebellion charges, among other topics related to the ongoing conflict in Zamboanga.

The standoff between government forces and MNLF rebels entered its 16th day Tuesday, with authorities reporting that they had arrested an MNLF commander and seven other ‘Misuari followers’ early Tuesday.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas identified the arrested MNLF commander as Salip Idjal, reportedly one of the lieutenants under Commander Habier Malik.

Idjal and seven of his companions were arrested in Barangay Sta. Catalina, Zamboanga City at around 8 a.m.

The eight were reportedly among the 14 arrested by government troops, but after a tactical interrogation, authorities confirmed that six were civilians, including four that were held hostage during the height of the crisis.

The military said Idjal held at least 20 civilian hostages in the boundary of Sta. Catalina and Sta. Barabara during the first day of clearing operations.

The other commanders who joined Malik were Commander Ener Misuari, who is holding 87 hostages; Commander Usong Uggong with 20 hostages; and Commander Asamin Hussin with an undetermined number of hostages. Malik himself held 20 hostages.

The military maintained that Malik is still inside one of the “constriction” areas as government troops continue to engage the rebels in “close-quarter-battles.

Earlier reports said Malik had already escaped to Sulu with some of his lieutenants.

Cerveza confirmed that Malik is still inside the city, and that his group is moving towards the “heart” of the city.

“The udstadz (Malik) is moving towards the heart of the city and with the escalation of skirmishes and other places, Zambo is on the brink of control of the MNLF,” Cerveza said.

“The war will be expanding,” added Cerveza, as he denied reports that Malik is on the run.

“They are not on the run. They are just within the area of conflict, Cerveza said as three motor bancas, reportedly MNLF reinforcements, arrived three days ago at a pier in Labuan village.

Military public affairs head Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, meanwhile, said six more hostages were rescued after the capture of Idjal and his men.

Zagala said soldiers also caught one of Idjal’s men who tried to escape by running into the mangrove area during the operation.

Zagala described the close-quarter-battles as very dangerous for government troopers as they go from house-to-house and room-to-room inside the constriction areas.

He, however, refused to give details the size of the area where the soldiers are conducting their search.

The military and the police said they are looking to finish off the MNLF fighters who had remained holed out in the area by the weekend.

In a related development, Zagala said they had arrested five soldiers and sent them to the stockade after they admitted to looting valuables from the house of Councilor BG Guingona in Zamboanga City.

Zagala did not release the names of the soldiersm but said that they were all young and enlisted personnel.

He said the “misbehavior” of the soldiers were reported by fellow soldiers who claimed they saw the suspects loot the house of Guingona while in the middle of the fighting on September 20 in Barangay Sta. Catalina.

Zagala said the soldiers returned their loot such as guns and personal items.

Zagala said the soldiers “They will undergo due process and undergo court martial proceedings for the things they have done. The chief of staff, Gen. Bautista, will not tolerate such misbehavior. This is a breach of discipline,” Zagala said.

Cerveza, meanwhile, refuted claims by the military that MNLF burned houses in Sta. Barbara, Sta. Catalina and Rio Hondo, saying that it was the government forces who set the fires at the height of the fighting.

“The burning was sparked by air strikes and the soldiers burned the houses to clear the area of MNLF rebels,” Cerveza said. ““Nasa loob ka ng bahay mo pagkatapos susunugin mo ba?,”

Meanwhile, Hataman said he received reports that Misuari is in one of the islands of Sulu and has been there since the Zambaonga City crisis started.

“We received reliable information that he (Misuari) is hiding in one of the islands in Sulu. The government only wants to ensure that he will not slip away from the country so that he would be made accountable for the Zamboanga siege. The government is building a very strong case. I believe the government has an airtight case against him,” Hataman said.

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Sep 25): NPA stepping up attacks to regain lost strongholds in northern
MindanaoThe New People’s Army is attempting to retake Sitio (sub-village) Lantad,
Balingasag, Misamis Oriental, as can be seen in its Sunday’s attack on a
military detachment there, according to the Philippine Army.

Four government troops were killed in the attack, the military said.

Captain Christian Uy, spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division, said the
rebels struck because they also “wanted to disrupt the Army’s operational gains
that gained public support.”

Aside from killing four government troops, the rebels also injured three
others during an attack on a patrol base in the same sitio, a part of the
Kibanban village. Lantad is about 15 kilometers uphill from the national highway
of Balingasag.

At the height of the communist insurgency, Lantad served as one of the NPA’s
strongholds in northern Mindanao and fell under the command of the NPA’s Front
4B.

It was considered by the military as no man’s land for years but in the
1990s, the NPA was pushed out of the area.

In 2010, the road to Lantad was finally made accessible to the public and
subsequently, government services were delivered to its residents, many of whom
were either rebels or NPA supporters.

With the road opened, the rebels yielded en masse and started tending their
farms and planted peanuts, coffee and bananas.

They also banded and formed the Lantad Multipurpose Cooperative and put up a
peanut processing plant through the help of the Department of Agriculture and
the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Some 150 houses were also given electricity through a government-sponsored
solar power system. A water system had been put up as well.

“This incident will not hinder government forces from protecting communities
from the NPA atrocities,” Uy said.

He said the Lantad incident was only one of the NPA’s recent efforts at
regaining lost territories.

Uy said this month alone, the NPA already launched six attacks on soldiers
securing former rebel strongholds in Northern Mindanao.

“Most of the skirmishes took place in Agusan del Norte and Sur and in Surigao
del Sur,” he said.

“The NPA is resorting to threat and intimidation to regain/recover lost
ground brought about by their atrocities and abuses,” Brigadier General Ricardo
Visaya, Commander of the 4th ID, said.

But Visaya said the cooperation extended by civilians proved that the NPA had
permanently lost its footing in these villages.

“The success of these encounters was made possible by the information
valiantly given by peace-loving concerned citizens,” he said.

“They (villagers) already have enough sufferings,” Visaya added.

In Digos City, Lieutenant Colonel Norman Zuniega, the commander of the Army’s
39th Infantry Battalion said the military would not have to intervene as much in
securing the city as the local government had shown it was capable of guarding
the people against the NPA.

Zuniega said the military also managed to drive away communist rebels from
their strongholds there.

“There are no more armed groups lurking in the remote villages of the city
since the communist rebels vacated the area,” Zuniega said.

Zuniega said he had recommended the handover of the Internal Security Effort
(ISE) to the local government of Digos starting September 26.

A memorandum of agreement on peace and security will also be signed between
the military and city officials by then, according to Zuniega.

Zuniega said some local officials were apprehensive about the military’s
pullout but he told them the military would immediately respond to calls for
help in the future.

From the Philippine Star (Sep 25): Raps filed against 114 MNLF members

At least 114 members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Misuari-faction, including its leader Ustadz Habier Malik have been charged with cases of murder, arson and rebellion under the Revised Penal Code and in violation of the humanitarian law, genocide and other crimes against humanity, a senior official of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said.

CIDG Police Director Francisco Uyami, Jr. said the latest case of violation of revised penal code and violation of the Republic Act 9851 or the Act Defining and Penalizing Crimes Against Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity was filed against the third batch of 57 MNLF members.

He said it included those 23 MNLF members who surrendered with city police director Sr. Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo the other week.

He said the CIDG started the filing last Sept. 20 against the first batch of 25 members and followed with another batch of 22 MNLF members last Sept. 22.

Uyami said they have filed charges against 114 MNLF who were captured and surrendered to the police and the government forces.

“The operation is ongoing and we are expecting there could be more who were bee either captured or surrender in the ground,” Uyami added.

The CIDG disclosed that the MNLF Misuari-faction have deployed minors in the siege it staged in Sta. Catalina and Sta. Barbara areas.

Two of those captured suspects were positively identified as minors. They were Almin Aukasa, 17, and Benhar Idarus, 14 years old. Both were positive in the paraffin test to have participated in the engagement against the government forces.

The two suspects were turned over to the custody of the Social Welfare Office since they were minors.

Uyami also disclosed that one of those captured or surrendered was positive of having used methampetamine hydrochloride or shabu.

Sr. Supt. Nicandro Canaleja, CIDG deputy director for operation, said all the recovered firearms were subjected to etching and ballistic test to determine and trace the owners of the firearms.

Some of the firearms displayed bore serial numbers indicating government property. But investigators believed the guns could be part of those missing firearms recovered by the rebels in the previous encounters.

Communist rebels recently harassed a countryside development caravan in Albay but failed to disrupt the activity, the military said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Domingo Gobway, acting spokesman of the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command, said the caravans were held in five villages of Camalig town and involved different agencies.

“Soldiers and other government agencies that joined the caravan were harassed with gunshots at Barangay Manilala, Camalig, Albay but still went on with the activity after government security immediately pursued the rebels,” he said.

No one was reported hurt during the incident.

Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Caesar Ordoyo said they are prepared to thwart efforts by the rebels to disrupt development in the region.

“The people are already tired of the NPA (New People’s Army) hampering the economic development of the country. They have practically sabotaged our development for four decades already,” Ordoyo said.

“We cannot allow these bandits to terrorize communities and hamper our daily lives. We must put a stop to this menace and support government efforts in bringing social services to the communities,” he added.

Gobway said the caravan seeks to curb poverty, which has been regarded as the root cause of social unrest and rebellion.

The caravan provided medical and dental services, food, haircut and other social services.

Albay is located in the Bicol region, an area with huge concentration of NPA rebels.

The strength of the communist rebels stood at about 4,000 as of end-June, virtually unchanged over the last three years, based on latest military data.

Joint operatives of the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion (57IB) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) prevented a group of some 200 armed men from attacking a banana plantation at a remote village in Tulunan, North Cotabato, a military official said.

Lt. Manuel Gatus, commander of the Charlie Company of the 57IB, said the attackers left the area after sensing that they were outnumbered.

Gatus identified the armed group as under a leader he identified as “Sukarno Kusain,” a resident of a town in Maguindanao who was among the claimants of a parcel of land formerly owned by the Delinanas Banana Company, now under the management of the Del Monte Philippines.

Kusain and other members of his group who are mostly his relatives want to get a share from the income of the company, Gatus said.

“Kusain and his relatives used to get a share from this land. But they already sold their lots to the company. Now, they are claiming it back. This is about land conflict that must be addressed by government agencies, like the Department of Agrarian Reform,” the military official said.

Hungry and fatigued, 30 fighters of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), including a commander who is a nephew of MNLF founding chairman Nur Misuari, surrendered yesterday to government authorities in Zamboanga City, the military said.

Contrary to the military’s claim, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas said the Moro fighters were arrested following another joint police and military operation in the remaining areas where MNLF-Misuari faction are still holed up.

Commander Enir Misuari (nephew of Nur) was captured together with other Moro fighters, said Roxas in a text message (SMS).

Despite the surrender or capture, fighting continues as three government security men – two policemen and one soldier – and four MNLF gunmen were killed in the latest skirmishes as the Zamboanga crisis entered its 17th day.

In a press briefing at Camp Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, Army 7th Civil Relations Group (CRG) commander and acting Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, said the 30 followers of Misuari surrendered at around 10:30 a.m. yesterday.

Cabunoc said the 30 MNLF men gave themselves up to military forces conducting clearing operations in Barangays Sta. Barbara and Sta. Catalina.

According to Cabunoc, clearing operations are still ongoing as government troops continue to search for Malik, who is believed to have led the Zamboanga siege. Malik is one of the trusted followers of Misuari.

10 MNLF Men Left Fighting – AFPCabunoc placed the number of remaining MNLF fighters at “five to 10,” including Malik who refuse to surrender.

“Our soldiers on the ground are employing loud speakers using Tausug language to encourage the remaining attackers who have gone into hiding to surrender,” said Cabunoc.

50 MNLF Men Still Fighting – Police

While the military claimed that only five to 10 MNLF fighters are left to fight government forces, police said that based on the intelligence information and the testimony of captured Moro rebels, Malik is now only commanding less than 50 armed men, most of them veterans and his most trusted men, Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca, spokesman of the Zamboanga Peninsula regional police, said.

He added that Malik appeared to be facing difficulty getting out of Zamboanga City with the presence of police and military forces virtually surrounding them. (With a report from Nonoy E. Lacson)

So far, 14 soldiers were killed while 146 were wounded in Zamboanga City.
Yesterday, two police officers also died while rescuing hostages. They are PO2 Lawin B. Salisa and PO2 Enrique Afable III.

One soldier was likewise killed and another was wounded during rescue mission that led to the surrender of the bulk of Misuari’s forces.

149 Schools Resume Classes in Zambo
Meanwhile, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday announced that a total of 149 schools resumed classes in Zamboanga City after almost three weeks of class suspension due to the fighting.

However, only a few students in attendance after parents declined to allow their children to attend their classes due to the still very volatile peace and order condition prevailing in the city.

In some elementary and high schools, only teachers and their school principals and no pupils and students had reported to their respective schools.

While in some schools, it has been reported by school officials that only about one percent of their total number of pupils and students had reported to their school on the first day of classes yesterday.

14 Out of 7,000 Students Show Up
In Zamboanga City National High School North, for instance, out of the over 7,000 students only 14 students showed up at the school yesterday morning.

Dr. Romeo Sta. Teresa, principal of Sta. Maria Central School, said that out of 3,895 pupils, only 38 reported to school yesterday.

The school is about five kilometers from the villages of Sta. Catalina, Lustre, Sta. Barbara, the sites where the military is conducting clearing operations.

Rizalino Rivera, DepEd Undersecretary for Regional Operation, together with Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman and Roxas witnessed the poor turned out of students during the resumption of classes at Sta. Maria Elementary School yesterday. (With reports from Nonoy E. Lacson and Ina Hernando Malipot)
According to Rivera the opening of classes yesterday was a decision made by the local Crisis Management Committee during a meeting they held recently.

Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas (left) chats with VADM Jose Luis Alano, Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy (middle) and MGEN Romeo Tanalgo, AFP Philippine Marine Corps Commandant during the blessing of the six units of Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC) donated by the US government at the Philippine Navy Headquarters. The SURC’s were given under the US 1206 Program and can go 0-25 knots in 15 seconds while carrying 14 combat marines plus six crew members. PHOTO BY ALEXIS CORPUZ

During difficult times, two things stand outstanding that can determine outcomes. One is clear intention, objective, and focus and the other is decisiveness, which is a quality of good leadership. The third one is legitimacy and public acceptance of the stands of the contending parties and the results of their respective actions. One has all the good intentions in the world, but the outcome always determines acceptance or rejection or success or failure.

This is, of course, not to set aside the kind and amount of material and human resources at their respective disposal. That too is part of the equation for success or failure.

In the current standoff in Zamboanga City, the leaderships of President Benigno Aquino III and Nur Misuari are tested to the hilt. The outcome of this confrontation can be hardly doubted, but surely, it would not come in handy. There are many others factors that come into play and assume significant roles. One such other factor is the ongoing the GPH-MILF peace negotiation, which is passing through difficult moments. Had this been sealed earlier, it would have deprived Misuari of the intense motivation in “sabotaging” this process. With its fate still hanging in the balance, we can expect more complications in the offing. And it added more reason for the spoilers to make another grand try.

Why did the parties fail to finish the remaining annexes (power-sharing and wealth-sharing) despite their ten-day 40th meeting in Kuala Lumpur? What causes this delay?

The truth is that the current issues in the negotiating table are hard and difficult. Power is not only hard to give and get but it is the real essence of genuine autonomy. Without exception, whoever is in the negotiating table would also find them very difficult.

Finger-pointing will never help especially in an undertaking that requires partnership and problem-solving mode. First, in finger-pointing only two fingers are directed to the accused while three others point back to the accusers. And second, like the adage, “don’t curse the darkness, light a candle”, the parties must jointly or unilaterally search their souls as well as their respective methods of doing their internal working to find out where the causes are. Perhaps, what can of great help is to examine themselves whether both or any of the parties is veering too much on legalism when the process is a political process, or whether they are not too rigid and restrictive in their orientation, given the fact that successful negotiation requires minimum positioning by both parties. More seriously, the over-stretching of the application of the principle of ad referendum, meaning, the principal, even without saying, has always the final say, is time-consuming. When negotiators are not given enough mandates, the consequence is that as if one party is directly negotiating with the other party’s principal.

Personal styles of negotiators also play important factor in negotiation. Some negotiators are by nature friendly and amiable, while others are rigid and confrontational. Of course, these styles are not always natural or biological, they can be assumed, as in bad cop and good cop roles.

The need of the hour, indeed, is honest-to-goodness soul-searching, due diligent, and assessment. We see no other better way to handle the situation.

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 25): Zamboanga City stand-off death toll: 158

With the stand-off between the military and Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF) now on its 17th day, the Armed Forces announced the death toll among
combatants and civilians caught in the crossfire has now reached 158.

AFP public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala, in a message to the
Philippines News Agency around 6 p.m., had the following breakdown:

-AFP: 15 killed, 152 wounded in action

-PNP: 5 killed, 14 wounded,

-Civilians: 13 killed, 54 wounded

-MNLF: 125 killed, 136 captured and surrendered (not included yet are the 36
who surrendered to the military earlier).

The number of captured high-powered firearms was placed at 104 and
low-powered firearms at 16 with 188 hostages rescued or have escaped from their
captors since the fighting began in Sept. 9.

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 25): Gov't builds P37 million farm-to-market road in Negros as part of accord with former communist rebels

Despite the stand-off between government forces and rogue Muslim rebels in
Zamboanga City, the government has launched the P37 million farm-to-market road
in Kabankalan, Negros Oriental as part of its commitment in its process with
the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian
Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade - Tabara Paduano Group (RPM-P/RPA/ABB-TPG), now
known as Kapatiran para sa Progresong Panlipunan (KPP).

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said it
is under PAMANA or Payapa at Masaganag Pamayanan (Peaceful and Resilient
Communities).

Convergence of government was manifested during groundbreaking ceremony of
the Locotan farm-to-market road in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental.
Representatives from various government offices namely Usec. Ma. Cleofe Gettie
Sandoval and Usec. Luisito Montalbo from OPAPP, Mayor Isidro P. Zyco of
Kabankalan City Government, Ms. Marlin Sanogal from the Provincial Government
of Negros Occidental, Regional Technical Director Livino T. Duran of DENR-VII,
Regional Technical Director Joyce Wendam of Department of Agriculture – VII,
and Veronica Tabara of RPM-P/RPA/ABB – TPG gleefully laid the time capsule for
the launching of the road project.

Undersecretary Ma. Cleofe Gettie Sandoval of the Office of the Presidential
Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) expressed gratitude to the local
government for its full support to the peace and development program of the
national government.

"We are grateful that Governor Alfredo Marañon and Mayor Isidro Zayco
are very supportive. This is not just a program of the national government but
also of the local government and most importantly, the communities that will
directly benefit from it)", she said.

Community members joined the groundbreaking ceremony to show their support
and ownership of the PAMANA road project.

Last year, Marañon led the creation of the province’s Peace, Integration and
Development Unit (PIDU) to oversee the integration of the provincial
government’s Framework for Peace and Development, the Army’s five-year Peace
and Development Program, and the Closure Program for the RPM-P/RPA/ABB.

KPP National Representative Veronica "Ka Inca" Tabara also
acknowledged the efforts of Zayco in providing for the publication requirement
for the utilization of the PAMANA budget from the Department of Agriculture
(DA).

The effort delivered by the local government was exemplary and important.
The Mayor displayed the excellent conduct of a leader in response to the urgent
need for the peace project), Tabara said.

RPM-P/RPA/ABB-TPG broke away from the New People’s Army in the 90s. The
group is now preparing for its eventual transformation into a socio-economic,
unarmed organization through a Closure Agreement with the government.

The group signified their solid stand in pursuing peace and development
during the recently concluded Locotan farm-to-market road launch and the
three-day orientation workshop for the group’s employment as forest guards of
the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-PAMANA National
Greening Program.

The stand of the whole organization remains solid and strong as it pursues
peace. We stood by our collaboration not only with the government but
especially with the people in order to achieve peace and development. The group
continues to strive to deliver its part in the peace agreement),"
underscored Tabara.

The Closure Agreement includes provision of community peace dividends
through PAMANA to support livelihood and enterprise development and
community-based impact projects. PAMANA is the flagship peace and development
program of the government that extends interventions to isolated,
hard-to-reach, and conflict-affected and vulnerable communities, ensuring that
they are not left behind. A complementary track to peace negotiations, the
program is anchored on the Aquino administration’s strategy of winning the peace
by forging strategic partnerships with national agencies in promoting
convergent delivery of goods and services, and addressing regional development
challenge.

Through convergent efforts, Sandoval believes that KPP could be a showcase
for peace agreements with other armed groups.

"(We hope that through collective effort, they will see that it's
possible to return and unite. Those who have aspirations can join and move
freely. The government is present and open)," assured Sandoval.

STILL WAITING. A PNP-SAF member waits at the Talon-Talon detachment, Sept.24, 2013. Photo by Paolo Villaluna

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - It begins at 2:20 pm. The sun is high. There is no road, only a stretch of dry sand cupping a swamp dotted with mangroves. The troops face the swamp, watching through mirrored sunglasses.

At first they see only the women. There are two of them. They walk across the dry sand, past the mangroves, the sea behind them, clutching each other by the hand. The younger is 20 years old, a college student in the city. The older woman is her aunt from Talon-Talon. There is a man who walks with them, behind them, almost invisible to the company of policemen watching from makeshift outposts.

Suit up, says the company commander. Suit up, gear up, load.

The man prods the women forward with his M16. The man with the rifle is in his 40s, dressed in shorts and a camouflage shirt.

The troops watch from across the sand. They take their positions and wait.

Engagement is not possible, not with the hostages providing cover. The commander calls for a sniper.

They shout for the walking man to stop. Surrender, let the women go.
The man keeps walking.

“We knew if he passed us he would be out of our sight,” says Senior Police Inspector Jaime Tuguic, commanding officer of the 25th Special Action Company of the Philippine National Police's Special Action Force (SAF).

Past a turn in the road, past the first detachment of policemen, the man moves from behind the women, guarding his flank from troops before him, exposing his back to the men at his back. It is a 30-degree angle.

“I called to shoot,” says Tuguic.

The sniper took his shot. The man fell, a bullet in his back. Then the men of the PNP-SAF ran to rescue the women.

The body of the hostage taker was retrieved in the early morning. The SAF could not risk walking in the open. There could be more rebels among the mangroves. The coast is the only way out of Zamboanga City, and many have tried to brazen their way through.

The dead rebel’s name is Yusop Yahya, and the ID he carries is signed by Professor Doctor Nur P. Misuari.

It is 2:35 in the afternoon, 15 minutes after the man first crossed the shoreline. It was, says Tuguic, just an ordinary day.

[Video: An Ordinary Day - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO1yneMZ-dw]Flown from Subic
Talon-Talon is where the first boats of MNLF rebels broke through on September 9, dozens of the old men walking through the broken alleys, the bright red patch sewn on camouflage sleeves.

For the last 4 days, this is where Tuguic and his men have been deployed. They have been in Zamboanga for 13 days, flown in all the way from Subic bay in Zambales to keep the peace in the crisis.

They have been in Talon-Talon for the last 4 days, watching the coastline for MNLF runaways. Four days on the coast means 4 days without showers or changes of clothes—although one man proudly announces he washed his underwear the night before. Their uniforms are back in the town hall base, they cannot risk leaving their posts. The uniforms they are wearing are torn, skin showing through camouflage pants after the encounter with the MNLF rebels.

Today an air force Huey batters the mangroves with machine fire. The sound is a constant. The men are silent as it happens. They wait, and watch for any rebels to come out of hiding.

GOOD HUNTING. A PNP SAF member gearing up for combat. 24 Sep 2013. Photo by Paolo Villaluna

When all is quiet, the joking begins. They go by nicknames, the men of the 25th. Tuguic is Jinkee, the others go by Zamby, Loverboy, Ivan, Roger, Tikboy, although they laugh when they introduce themselves.

They are used to this life, and have been friends for a long time. Water comes from a garden hose, food comes in from the city, although sometimes civilians offer them meals. They sleep in shifts, on hammocks slung under their makeshift camp or on flattened cardboard boxes. Some of them take out photos of wives and babies, tucked into metal cases and wrapped in plastic in case of disaster.

Morale is low
They believe in what they do. Earlier yesterday, two PNP-SAF members were killed in action. Morale is low, says Tikboy. The men are men they know.

“When I heard he was dead, I sat down. I was tired. I was very tired. I went out of focus, violated SOPs. You’re not supposed to take off your helmet or your shoes or your bulletproof vest, but I did all that. I couldn’t think, I needed to focus.”

Real men cry, says Zamby, and he did, in the corner of a room in a house in a town thick with smoke.

“But I had to focus. So I geared up. I put my helmet on. Put my boots on. My kit. And I assumed my service.”

A local runs into the detachment, he says they saw a man in the bushes they say. The troops jump to their feet, their bulletproof vests already buckled, each man carrying a basic of 300 rounds. They call for the sniper, and they run, in a line, to hunt for the next rebel.

The government said it will not compromise with Nur Misuari, who is suspected of ordering Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members to seize villages in Zamboanga City on September 9.

“We have done everything to accommodate (Misuari)…but he did not agree (to anything)," Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing on Wednesday, September 25. "Nur Misuari has no other concern but himself… This is the attitude of Nur Misuari towards himself, towards his people, towards his MNLF which he has deceived,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda said some of the MNLF members arrested during the standoff told interrogators they were promised arms and money in exchange for attending a "peace rally" in Zamboanga City.

The standoff, which has displaced at least 100,000 residents and killed more than 100, entered its second week last Monday, September 23.

Misuari, founding chairman of the MNLF, has accused the Aquino government of ignoring pending commitments to the MNLF, which signed a peace agreement with the Ramos government in 1996.

He was also charged with rebellion under the Arroyo administration, but the case against him was eventually dismissed by a local court.

Lacierda said Department of Justice prosecutors are now evaluating evidence against Misuari.

“They will come up with an airtight case against those responsible. And, once they are prepared to file charges, they will do so,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda recalled that government officials were supposed to meet with the MNLF in Indonesia for the review of the implementation of the 1996 peace agreement but Misuari cancelled it.

Lacierda said that at the height of the Zamboanga standoff, Misuari never discussed the crisis with Indonesia.

“What Nur Misuari discussed with Indonesia was hotel accommodation…and who would guard him while in Indonesia,” he said.

“It’s all about himself. That’s the position. (Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process) Secretary (Teresita) Ging Deles did not neglect her duty. She, in fact, explained to the Filipino people what we have done to show that Nur Misuari was not neglected or abandoned,” Lacierda said.

From InterAksyon (Sep 25): VIDEO | Misuari nephew, 35 other MNLF fighters give up as 12 more bodies found in Zamboanga

A nephew of Moro National Liberation Front founder Nur Misuari was among 36 rebels who surrendered to authorities in Zamboanga City before noon Wednesday, authorities said.

The surrender of Ener Misuari and the other MNLF fighters, which was confirmed by Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II, came as government forces recovered 12 more bodies, as well as weapons, from two villages and two more members of the police Special Action Force were killed as the deadly standoff in the vital southern port city entered its 17th day.

Eleven of the bodies were found in Barangay Sta. Catalina, one of the villages worst hit by the fighting, and another in Barangay Talon-Talon. It was not clear, however, if all the bodies were those of rebels.

Cabunoc also said Habier Malik, a trusted lieutenant of the MNLF founder who led the estimated 200 rebels who forayed into Zamboanga and triggered the crisis on September 9, has still refused to surrender and remains holed out with “two buddies” in what the military calls a “constriction area” surrounded by troops.

Security forces have persistently belied continuing reports Malik has escaped and returned to Sulu.

The military and police have yet to confirm reports another rebel commander, Tadsna Ismael, whose group was earlier reported to have taken 36 hostages, has been killed.

Other MNLF commanders authorities said joined Malik in the foray are Usong Uggong and Asamin Hussin.

Meanwhile, 1st Lieutenant Ian Paquit of the Light Reaction Company, who was hit in the neck during rescue operations in Sta. Catalina Tuesday evening, has been declared in stable condition at a hospital.

Cabunoc said Paquit’s team rescued American James West and his wife, Lucy, both in their 60s.

The Zamboanga crisis has so far claimed at least 140 lives and displaced up to 120,000 people. More than 200 have also been injured in the violence.

Seventeen days since a foray by the Moro National Liberation Front into Zamboanga City triggered a deadly standoff between the rebels and government forces, the United Nations has officially declared the situation there a “humanitarian crisis.”

“We are increasingly alarmed by the situation and the growing needs of people caught up with violence,” United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in the Philippines, Luiza Carvalho, said in a statement issued Wednesday. “We are particularly concerned for the most vulnerable, especially the well-being of women and children.”

The UN said the fighting has displaced over 109,000 persons in Zamboanga and another 19,000 in nearby Basilan province, and destroyed over 10,000 homes.

Authorities estimate the death toll from more than two weeks of violence at close to 140 with more than 200 others wounded.

“People are struggling to survive with around 70,000 staying in the main sports complex in Zamboanga City, in desperately overcrowded conditions and insufficient sanitation facilities,” the UN said. “There is a real risk of a disease outbreak with food, drinking water, health services, cooking utensils, tents and other necessities required.”
Carvalho stressed the importance of “timely and targeted aid for the displaced, many of whom have lost their homes and livelihood.”

“We are particularly concerned that aid is delivered in an impartial manner, with the needs of the most vulnerable met and those outside the evacuation centers not forgotten,” she said even as she acknowledged government efforts to respond to the needs of those affected by the crisis.

Carvalgo also called on “all parties to uphold the principles of impartiality, humanity, neutrality and independence, enshrined in International Humanitarian Law.”

“We expect that all humanitarian workers providing support to the victims of this conflict are protected and respected, and their safety is ensured by all actors,” she added.

The United States gave the Philippine military six patrol boats Wednesday to be used in a southern region where armed Muslim militants are active, the military said.

The small-unit riverine craft (SURCs) are part of a US programme to train and equip foreign military forces for "counter-terrorism", Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Alano said in a statement.

"The SURCs will be deployed to augment our sea-based forces to address terrorism and lawlessness such as the current crisis in Mindanao," Alano added.

For the past three weeks, thousands of elite troops have been battling Muslim guerrillas of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who occupied several coastal villages in the key southern port of Zamboanga on Mindanao island.

Mindanao and nearby island groups are also a hotbed of other armed groups including communist guerrillas, bandits and Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group blamed for the country's worst terror attacks.

Funded by the late Al-Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden in the 1990s, Abu Sayyaf has targetted foreigners with kidnappings for ransom.

The group killed two Americans in a 2001 hostage crisis that lasted more than a year.
US troops have been based in the southern Philippines since 2002 to help train local troops in hunting down members of the Abu Sayyaf, which is on the US government's list of so-called foreign terrorist organisations.

From InterAksyon (Sep 25): US giving P43M to 'habagat' victims in Zambales, Bataan

The US government is providing P43 million to help government’s relief efforts for the victims of the recent floods and landslides that struck Zambales and Bataan.

The disaster, which claimed close to two dozen lives, was caused by torrential rains spawned by the southwest monsoon or "habagat" enhanced by the passage of typhoon "Odette."

“On behalf of the US government and the American people, we extend our deepest condolences and sympathies to those who have lost their loved ones, homes and livelihoods. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected,” Ambassador Harry K. Thomas Jr. said in a statement.

The assistance, coursed through the US Agency for International Development or USAID, will provide relief such as hygiene kits and water purification supplies for up to 10,000 victims.

The US embassy said USAID has provided P3.4 billion in humanitarian assistance to the Philippines over the past five years.

Part of this aid is intended to help the country cope with the effects of disasters through adaptation, response and preparation mechanisms.

The NC212-200 Aviocar (from PT Dirgantara website)An Indonesian aircraft manufacturer was the only firm to bid for a Department of Defense contract to supply the Philippine Air Force with two medium-lift transport planes worth more than P800 million.

This was first revealed by reliable military sources and later confirmed by Defense Undersecretary Fernando Manalo who, when asked, said in a text message that the “big is (still) being evaluated.”

He did not elaborate.

According to one source, three companies bought bid documents but only PT Dirgantara Indonesia/Indonesian Aerospace (IAe) and Sikorsky Aircraft submitted offers.

When the bids were opened at the DND in Camp Aguinaldo on Wednesday, only PT Dirgantara qualified as a bidder. It offered a price of P812,550,000.

Another source said Sikorsky had offered the C27 Skytruck while PT Dirgantara offered the NC21-200 Aviocar.

“Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez has given the (Air Force’s) technical working group seven days to evaluate (PT Dirgantara’s) bid,” he said.

The Indonesian firm describes the NC-212-200 in its website as “a light transport that was designed to operate in areas lacking in infrastructure and unpaved runways. It has a high-wing configuration and fixed landing gear, is fitted with twin turboprop engines, and has excellent Short Take Off and Landing capability.”

The firm was established in 1976 and bills itself as “one of the indigenous aerospace company in Asia with core competence in aircraft design, development and manufacturing of civilian and military regional commuter aircraft.”

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Sep 25): Former Negros-Panay rebels work as forest guards for DENR-PAMANA National Greening Program

Former rebels from Negros-Panay islands pose with representatives from various government agencies, namely OPAPP led by Usec. Gettie Sandoval, DENR-VI led by Dir. Adeluisa G. Siapno, DENR-VII led by Dir. Isabelo Montejo, AFP - 303rd Brigade Commander led by Colonel Jon S. Aying, and PNP-Negros led by Sr. Police Supt. Gerry Bartolome during the opening ceremony of their workshop as forest guards.

Former rebels from the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade - Tabara Paduano Group (RPM-P/RPA/ABB - TPG), now known as Kapatiran para sa Progresong Panlipunan, attentively listen as they undergo orientation workshop in preparation for their eventual hiring as forest guards for the DENR-PAMANA National Greening Program.

Former rebels from the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade - Tabara Paduano Group (RPM-P/RPA/ABB - TPG), now known as Kapatiran para sa Progresong Panlipunan, will soon take active part in protecting forestry and natural resources as part of the peace process with the government.

In preparation for the hiring of around 95 former rebels in Negros-Panay islands, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in partnership with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) are conducting a three-day orientation-workshop at the Sugarland Hotel here.

OPAPP Undersecretary Ma. Cleofe Gettie Sandoval underscored that the program is part of the government's commitment to support former rebels.

"Nagpapasalamat kami na nanatili ang paniniwala ng RPA-Tabara Paduano Group na ang gobyerno ay hindi kayo iiwanan. Ang mga programa ay dadating hindi lamang sa inyong pamilya kung hindi maging sa inyong komunidad (We are grateful to the RPA-Tabara Group for continuing to trust that the government will not leave you alone. Programs will be delivered not only to your families but also to your communities)," she said.

The Undersecretary also thanked the DENR, particularly its head, Secretary Ramon Paje, for proposing the inclusion of former rebels in the department's National Greening Program.

"Si Secretary Paje po mismo ang nagsabi na may programa para sa forest protection at bukas ito para sa mga armadong grupo na ngayon ay nagnanais nang mabuhay ng tahimik at maging aktibo sa development ng ating komunidad. Pinag-usapan po nila mismo ni Secretary Deles kung papaano ito maisasakatuparan (It was Secretary Paje himself who informed us that there is a program for forest protection and it is open for armed groups who wants to live peacefully and be active in community development. Paje and Deles discussed how it can be realized)," she told the former rebels.

Transformation to socio-economic organization through PAMANA

The provision of livelihood for former rebels is part of the strategy of PAMANA or Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Peaceful and Resilient Communities) to support former and current rebels who desire to integrate into communities and be transformed into productive citizens and group.PAMANA is the national government’s program that extends development interventions to isolated, hard-to-reach, and conflict-affected and vulnerable communities, ensuring that they are not left behind.

As a complementary track to the peace process being pursued with the RPM-P/RPA/ABB - TPG, PAMANA interventions are determined based on the profiling of needs of the members matched with available and feasible options in the area.

During the workshop, Director Adeluisa G. Siapno of DENR-Region VI said that the activity is an important step in the attainment of peace and development.

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Sep 25): Philippine Army detains 5 soldiers who loot house in Zamboanga City

The Philippine Army is investigating 5 soldiers who were accused of looting a house in Zamboanga City where security forces are fighting separatist rebels for three weeks now, officials said.

Officials said military interrogators were investigating the soldiers, who are members of the 9th Infantry Battalion, at the Western Mindanao Command in Zamboanga City.

They were arrested and disarmed after fellow soldiers reported the looting to their commander. The soldiers allegedly ransacked the house of a local politician in Santa Catalina village, scene of deadly clashes between troops and Moro National Liberation Front rebels.

Reports said the soldiers took assorted jewelleries and other valuable things and also tried to open a vault left in the house.

The politician did not answer phone calls by journalists, but an army official said the soldiers could be expelled from the army if they are proven guilty of all accusations and eventually charge in a civil court.

“The soldiers are now confined in Western Mindanao Command where they are being interrogated,” the official said. “It is really sad that some soldiers were accused of looting a house while others are risking their life fighting the rebels and protecting civilians.”

The soldiers, who battalion is under the 9th Infantry Division, were sent here from the Bicol region to help augment hundreds of troops fighting Moro National Liberation Front rebels who stormed several villages on September 9.

Residents were so angry by the news of soldiers looting the house that some of them even left their messages to the Twitter account of the local government used in dispatching emergency bulletins and alerts.

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Sep 25): Gov’t convergence through PAMANA strengthens peace process with former Negros rebels

Photo 1 - Convergence of government was manifested during groundbreaking ceremony of the Locotan farm-to-market road in Kabankalan, Negros Occidental. Representatives from various government offices namely Usec. Ma. Cleofe Gettie Sandoval and Usec. Luisito Montalbo from OPAPP, Mayor Isidro P. Zyco of Kabankalan City Government, Ms. Marlin Sanogal from the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental, Regional Technical Director Livino T. Duran of DENR-VII, Regional Technical Director Joyce Wendam of Department of Agriculture – VII, and Veronica Tabara of RPM-P/RPA/ABB – TPG gleefully laid the time capsule for the launching of the road project.

Photo 2 - Community members joined the groundbreaking ceremony to show their support and ownership of the PAMANA road project.Whole of government is working towards peace and development in support of the peace process with the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade - Tabara Paduano Group (RPM-P/RPA/ABB-TPG), now known as Kapatiran para sa Progresong Panlipunan (KPP).

Officials and representatives from both national and local government converged during the recent launching of the P37-million Locotan farm-to-market road project under the PAMANA or Payapa at Masaganag Pamayanan (Peaceful and Resilient Communities) here.

Undersecretary Ma. Cleofe Gettie Sandoval of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) expressed gratitude to the local government for its full support to the peace and development program of the national government.

"Nagpapasalamat kami na very supportive sina Governor Alfredo Marañon at Mayor Isidro Zayco. Hindi lamang po ito programa ng national government kung hindi maging ang lokal na pamahalaan at lalong-lalu na ang mga komunidad na siyang direktang magbebenepisyo (We are grateful that Governor Alfredo Marañon and Mayor Isidro Zayco are very supportive. This is not just a program of the national government but also of the local government and most importantly, the communities that will directly benefit from it)", she said.

Last year, Marañon led the creation of the province’s Peace, Integration and Development Unit (PIDU) to oversee the integration of the provincial government’s Framework for Peace and Development, the Army’s five-year Peace and Development Program, and the Closure Program for the RPM-P/RPA/ABB.

KPP National Representative Veronica "Ka Inca" Tabara also acknowledged the efforts of Zayco in providing for the publication requirement for the utilization of the PAMANA budget from the Department of Agriculture (DA).

RPM-P/RPA/ABB-TPG broke away from the New People’s Army in the 90s. The group is now preparing for its eventual transformation into a socio-economic, unarmed organization through a Closure Agreement with the government.

The group signified their solid stand in pursuing peace and development during the recently concluded Locotan farm-to-market road launch and the three-day orientation workshop for the group’s employment as forest guards of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-PAMANA National Greening Program.

The Closure Agreement includes provision of community peace dividends through PAMANA to support livelihood and enterprise development and community-based impact projects.

PAMANA is the flagship peace and development program of the government that extends interventions to isolated, hard-to-reach, and conflict-affected and vulnerable communities, ensuring that they are not left behind.

A complementary track to peace negotiations, the program is anchored on the Aquino administration’s strategy of winning the peace by forging strategic partnerships with national agencies in promoting convergent delivery of goods and services, and addressing regional development challenge.

Through convergent efforts, Sandoval believes that KPP could be a showcase for peace agreements with other armed groups.

“Inaasahan namin na kapag nagtutulong-tulong lahat, makikita nila na maaari naman palang makiisa at makisama. Maaari naman na yung mga may adhikain ay sumama at pwedeng gumalaw. Present at bukas ang gobyerno. (We hope that through collective effort, they will see that it's possible to return and unite. Those who have aspirations can join and move freely. The government is present and open)," assured Sandoval.